Holla!

Sometimes you just want to say what's on your mind. But how about in public, to complete strangers? Now you can.

The Freedom of Expression National Monument awaits speakers-out to be heard in Foley Square (60 Centre Street) amidst the courthouses of New York City. Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, the interactive installation consists of a bright red ramp that leads to an oversized megaphone atop a platform. Designed by architect Laurie Hawkinson, performer John Malpede and visual artist Erika Rothenberg, Freedom pays tribute to the ordinary, the everyday, and the common citizen.

However, the "monument" addresses the false assumptions of freedom of speech and empowerment. It invites and celebrates the fundamentally American right that everyone has a voice and is entitled to share it. Simultaneously, it cynically reveals the powerlessness of such an act, acknowledging the limitations on your message really being heard without being conveyed via credible or mainstream media outlets.

Sponsored by Creative Time (the nonprofit organization behind Tribute in Light) and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Freedom of Expression National Monument will be amplifying your rants and raves through November 13, so you can voice your opinions about the upcoming presidential election, or your reaction to its outcome.

There are also some scheduled programs and performances that will take place at the installation.